Tag Archives: Wanda Madden

Family

Wanda Madden 1931-2025

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My grandmother passed away last week, two weeks shy of her 94th birthday and 100 days after her husband died. This marks the last of my grandparents to die, so it feels like the end of a generation.

Family Remembrance

Here’s the piece I read at the funeral:

I did this a few months back for my Grandpa, and I told funny stories. I don’t have any funny stories today. Not because Grandma wasn’t funny or didn’t enjoy a good laugh—she did. I can picture her face crinkled up in laughter as she finishes a story, ending with ‘Well, I never.’ But Grandma wasn’t a character, cracking jokes that sought to be the center of attention. Instead, Grandma was a quiet rock. She held the home together. She was humble, devoted, forgiving, loving, curious. Those are the memories I have of my Grandma.

They’re simple and mundane memories—coloring at the kitchen table while Grandma cleaned the kitchen or made supper, taking us to WalMart or the bookstore, running errands to deliver Meals on Wheels, or visiting Great-Grandma Scheufler. 

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Family, Love

Celebrating My Grandparents’ 50th Anniversary

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Another day, another side of the family, and the contrasts of life. Today we celebrated my grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary. Through it all they’ve been together–three kids, seven grand kids, and fifty years of ploughing fields and fixing suppers. Grandpa’s hand was shaking Sunday morning as they were called to the front of the church for a special presentation.

My Grandma & Grandpa–the most typical grandparents you can imagine. Grandpa always with his white straw hat, driving his pickup truck down to the river or into the watermelon patch. Grandma always selfless, dishing up a bowl of ice cream at night or offering bacon and eggs for breakfast, but always concerned with so much more. The two are so loving and caring of everyone. Even though I’m 700 miles away they keep up with the events of my life, always remembering me in their prayers.

Fifty years. That’s a long time. Partnership. Cooperation. God. These are the things they mentioned when asked how they did it. And before leaving the front of the church Sunday morning, Grandpa reached for the microphone, saying he had something to say to all the young people, “Being married for fifty years is really cool!”